Trust me
by Schneckchen80
Summary: Robin has a problem with the rest of the team. Will he leave them for ever?


**TRUST ME**

**Chapter 1 In trouble**

„Is Robin in the gym again?" Artemis asked with a troubled voice, after she had seen that all the members of Young justice were inside the living room except of Robin.

„Yes" Superboy answered „I can hear him training on the rings for over two hours right now. And in the morning he had also trained for over three hours. Don´t know what he´s worried about?"

Wally lifted his neck after he heard the clones last sentence. „Why do you think he is worried about something? Has he said anything to you?"

„No." was the short comment from Superboy.

„But why do you think so then?"

"Come on, that´s easy Wally!" It wasn´t the clone who answered but Megan. "Don´t tell us that you are Robs best friend and haven´t noticed, that he always trains harder than normal when he has any kind of trouble?"

Wally opened his mouth to answer but this time Kaldur stood up from the couch and directed his question to the team without waiting for Wallys response. "Do you think it had been so bad anytime before? He is training much more than usually."

Before the team could reply anything, they heard a yell from the gym and then a loud bang from the same direction, after that they heard nothing more.

**Chapter 2 First aid**

The four teens in the living room looked scared at each other, frozen for just a second then all of them jumped up running towards the gym. They all thought the same – why can´t we hear any sound? Even Superboy could not listen to Robins normally loud breathing during he was training.

Of course Wally was the first one who arrived at the gym and froze at the door when he saw his best friend on the floor immobile. His glasses had dropped a few inches away on the ground.

"Robin!" His best friend bounced next to him and at the same time Kaldur, Artemis, Superboy and Megan arrived. They looked terrified when they recognized their youngest team member fixed on the ground and his best pal, calling his name for the fifth time by now, shaking the teen´s body in the hope of response.

"Stop that!" Artemis shouted and pulled Wally away. She had to hold on him, ´cause he didn´t want to stop the shaking. Artemis looked down more precise and suddenly recognized the young boy in front of her. "Oh my god!" was the only utterance she could make.

Megan had reached Robin now and looked for his pulse. "I can feel it!" she squieked "It´s very weak but I can feel it!"

Everybody sighed and Keldur advised "bring him to the infirmary I call the league!" Then he left the gym.

Wally grasped Robins glasses from the floor. Superboy stepped also forward and laid Robin softly in his arms, to carry him. The others monitored the scene and stood very close to Superboy, just to make sure that he wouldn´t drop their little brother.

Supy went straight to the infirmary and laid Robin carefully on the bed, not sure what to do next. Artemis came beside him and checked the pulse again, after a short while she nodded calming.

"Hopefully Kaldur reached the League already, we need help. Robin looks so pale and although there is no open wound he doesn´t awake. What do you think had happen to him?"

"Concussion!" Wally supposed disappointed. He stood near the sickbed, quite calm for his circumstances.

"Why does he always train without a mat, that´s idiotically." Megan found no other way to articulate her worries.

"Habit!" Wally responded again with only one word.

Artemis and Megan looked at him concerned. It never happened before that the Speedster had talked so parsely.

"Black Canary is on her way, she will arrive soon." Kaldur had entered the infirmary.

"What´s with batman?" Superboy asked with little anger in his voice. He thought about his own mentor and how it felt, that he doesn´t care about his protégé.

Kaldur recognized the assault in his voice but just ignored it. There were more important things to discuss right now. "Batman is on a mission, not reachable. How is Robin?" He asked instead.

"Nothing changed." Artemis applied.

**Chapter 3 - Concussion**

Just in that moment they could all hear the Zetatube which announced the arrival of Black Canary. Seconds later she flounced in the room and walked straight to Robin who was still laying motionless on the bed.

"Out here – all of you. I need to look at him!" She said it in a determining tone which left no room for any discussions. Kaldur, Megan, Superboy and Artemis left immediately, only Wally took a last peek at his best friend. Then he closed the door und followed disappointed the others to make for the kitchen.

Nobody said anything for the next ten minutes. Superboy sat on a chair and kneaded his fingers the whole time, Wally stood in front of the fridge without being able to open it. Megan and Artemis just seated themselves back to back on the ground and Kaldur remained next to the door, so he wouldn´t miss the moment, when Black Canary will emerge from the infirmary.

After ten minutes everybody winced when they could hear the conversant noise of the door. With opened eyes the teens looked eagerly to the older hero, who came to the kitchen right now.

"What? Come on say he will be all right!" Wally needed his hole self-control not to ran next to Black Canary and shake her powerful to finally get his desired respond.

"He will recover. Just need to rest some days. He has a bad concussion and is still unconscious, think he will need this when he wakes up."

She handed a few pills to Kaldur who stand next to her then added "One of you has to watch him. He has to stay in bed and shall not move. So please make sure he does. You know the boy. He will say he is alright and can go up again. I will look for him tomorrow again, till then let him stay where he is, got that?"

The team nodded and Wally was the first who found his words again.

"I take care for him!" There was no space for any discussions, he took the pills out of Kaldurs hand and spurted to the infirmary.

Black Canary knew that Wally would care thoughtful for Robin so she could go back to the watchtower to do her duties for the league and try to contact batman again. The Bat will go nuts when he will experience about that, she was thinking while leaving the Mount Justice.

**Chapter 4 – Headache**

"What the fuck!" Robin felt sick with a very bad headache and was trying to think about the reason for it. He could not remember immediately what had happened but when he opened slowly his eyes he recognized fast that he wasn´t lying in his own room, it was much brighter here than in his room and Robin was forced to shut his eyes again because of the loud light.

Now he noticed that he didn´t wear his glasses, so he moved his left hand to the nightstand where the glasses normally were seated. He also tried to raise his body a bit higher but felt immediately an eager pain and a strong dizziness which forced him to the pillow back again.

"What the hell!" he repeated inside his head again.

Batmans first rule – stay calm and figure out what happened. So Robin breathed in and out and then opened his eyes careful again. He focused himself on just one point at the ceiling to get a sharp picture. It was a boring white ceiling without something special. His look went slowly down and remained on a red haired boy who was sleeping with the face on the bed. He looked down at Wally and realized finally that he lay in the emergency bed at the infirmary, but why? Wally seemed to take care of him but couldn´t prevent to get asleep next to him.

Robin grinned, but stopped it quick because of his burning headache. He looked further around and spotted some pills on the table by the wall.

"Oh yes, that´s what I need now to stop this dreadful headache" he considered.

With great effort he put himself in a seating position on the bed and tried to get up without waking up Wally. He wanted to care for himself without needing the help of his friend.

"I am not weak! I can provide myself! I make it on my own!"

Robin encouraged himself while he made his first step towards the table with its medicine. Then he became dizzy again and one second later he found himself on the ground of the infirmary.

"Holy shit" he muttered.

"Robin! What the hell are you doing?"

Wally woke up when he heard the noise of the younger teen falling down. He jumped next to Robin on the ground and forced him softly back to the bed.

"Are you totally crazy dude, how often do you want to frighten my again today?"

"I just wanted to fetch my pills." Robin responded briefly.

The older teen brought him carefully back to the bed.

"Stay where you are I give you the tablets!"

Wally took the medicine to his pal and offered him also a glass of water to swallow them down. He regarded accurate that Robin did not raise up again and waited until he had finished. Then he took the glass away and sat down next to the bed.

"What happened? Why am I here with you?"

Robin asked while he closed his eyes again to relax his head a little bit which was still hurting like there were thousand explosions inside.

"You trained in the gym for over three hours and dropped down from the rings directly on your head. I think you already lost your consciousness above, otherwise you would have intercepted yourself. So what´s the problem Rob? Tell me why you are so careless to yourself?"

"Not yet!"

Robin answered and pulled the blanket over his head to make clear that he want to sleep now.

"Later then. I don´t go without an answer."

Robin only grumbled for reply then fell asleep again.

**Chapter 5 – The reason**

The next time Robin opened his eyes his head felt a little bit better, perhaps the painkiller had done their job or time healed a bit, perhaps even both. Many hours must have been past, because everything around him was dark now. No bright light, no lights from outside the infirmary and no sounds from his teammates. Except of a clearly intense breathing on the right side of Robins bed.

The boy wonders eyes went right and gazed directly into Wallys green eyes directed wide open on him. It seemed that the Speedster had not allowed himself to fall asleep again for fear of Robins solo efforts. Now he smiled at the thirteen year old kid in the bed and requested like there haven´t been hours of waiting between.

"Ok Rob, now we have plenty of time. Tell me what´s the matter?"

Robin had to grin and knew that Wally would not stop until he will confide himself.

"Give me my glasses first! What do you think Batman would say, if he could see me without?"

Wally didn´t want to explain Robin, that the whole team found him without his glasses in the gym, so he only reached them to his friend.

"Go on, now!"

Wally sounded strict and Rob noticed an eager look in Wallys face. So he sighed and began to describe his worries which he had shuttered in his head for the last days.

"Do you remember when we came home from the last mission? I said to all of you I would go to bed because I didn´t want to discuss with the whole team why we lost Jokers track. I knew that all of you made me responsible for our failure. Superboy had let him go just to save me from the breaking ceiling."

Robin sighed and Wally used the little moment to encourage his little bro.

"Don´t blame on you! That wasn´t your fault."

"Really?"

Robin responded in an aggressive tone.

"Then explain to me why the whole team including you met in the living room that night and discussed about the problem that I am the weakest part of the team and that it is hard for you to catch the villains and take care for my health. Not to mention what trouble you would get with batman when anything would go wrong and I get hurt!"

"How do you?" was the only question the red haired teen could produce.

"Growing up with batman teaches you very fast things like sneaking up, hiding and inaudible movement."

Robin spoke calm but Wally was able to hear his accusation in every word he expressed.

"Listen up Robin! You haven´t understand that right! We"

"No Wally" now Robins voice started to shake and he couldn´t keep it calm any longer, "I comprehended very well. I am the youngest, the most vulnerable one and the guy which will bring you all a lot of trouble when he gets hurt in any way. So I came to the conclusion that I have two options, leave the team or train harder. Now I have to recognize that I am not able to do more workout so I have to quit."

"No that´s wrong!"

This didn´t came from the Speedster next to Robin but from a well known voice coming up from the door.

Chapter 6 – Dispute

The loud argumentation had brought all of the team back to the infirmary. They heard the last part of their discussion and finally comprehended the behavior of Robin. Artemis had spoken in an encouraging voice to the upset teen. Robin just got even angrier when he realized that all of them had entered the room. He immediately tried to sit up and rave at them but had to put down instead. His head felt bad and he got a little bit sick again.

"Go out, all of you! I need to rest." he said with a short look to Wally.

Megan tried to intervene now. "Please Rob, let us explain what we meant and conciliate then. It´s not such a big thing and we can fix it for sure."

"No, get out! Wait! Wally bucket quickly."

Mercifully the Speedster comprehended his friend without many words, so he grabbed the bucket and handed it to Robin. No second to late the bucket arrived and the team saw the little bird puking inside.

"Let´s talk about this later, go to bed everybody. Wally go to sleep, I can keep vigil over him."

Kaldur realized that it wasn´t the right time to resolve any problems and that their Youngster needed silence and sleep at the moment.

Wally didn´t want to leave his friend in such a situation but he had to admit that the last few hours had made him very tired. He just nodded and left the room with Superboy, Megan and Artemis.

"We will clarify this in the morning" Kaldur told Robin. But the young boy did not answer anything and pulled the blanket over his head.

**Chapter 7 – The mission**

Robin woke up in the morning when he heard the signal of the Zetatube which announced the arrival of Black Canary and Flash. He remained with closed eyes so that no one would perceive he´s awake. Seconds later the door opened and he could hear the voice of Black Canary.

"Good morning Kaldur. Thanks for paying attention. I relieve you now. Call all the others and meet with Flash in the mission room. We have an important job for your team. So please hurry up!"

"I´m on the way!"

Kaldur repeated quickly. He was tired and hungry and he was kind of hoping to clarify the misconceptions between Robin and the team, but he would never have neglected a direct order. So he left the room. Robin could hear his team members collecting in the mission room but then the mission room door got closed and Robin heard nothing.

"How are you?" Black Canary asked.

Robin didn´t reply. He heard steps coming closer and shut his eyes quickly. In the next moment the blanket was pulled away.

"I can hear your louder and faster breathing, since I send the team to the mission, so don´t hide. I know you are awake. So, again. How are you?"

Robin left his eyes closed while he repeated "I´m fine just a poor headache. What´s the mission?"

"That´s not your matter this time. You have to rest and protect yourself. Take this!"

She offered him the painkiller again and a glass of water. Robin opened his eyes, took the medicine and swallowed them down without moving his head too much.

"Perhaps we can use the time to talk about your training yesterday and why you think it ended so painful."

Batmans protégé had expected this question from her but he had no passion to make a therapy lesson, so he replied.

"Everything is all right now. We discussed the problem with the team yesterday and clarified it. It´s a team thing, you know?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I just want to sleep further more. Ok?"

Robin knew that his only chance to be on his own was to pretend being tame. He closed his eyes again and put his head aside.

"I will wait here until you fall asleep."

That was not exactly the thing he had expected but for the moment he was only glad of escaping from an unwanted therapy lesson. So he relaxed himself and slept again soon. He didn´t even notice the Zetatube which announced the departure of the team, Flash and a bit later Black Canary too.

**Chapter 8 – Lost**

"Recognize, Artemis!" Robin had expected the arrival since he woke up. The mission must have been finished, now his friends will come and look after him. He fitted himself in the bed and waited. The door remained closed. Why had he only heard the arrival of Artemis? Where were the others; still on the mission?

Robin felt a bit better and so he decided to have a look on what´s going on. He opened the door and listened carefully. He could hear Artemis voice in the mission room. She sounded nervous and a little bit anxious.

"Crappy tackle! Come on! I have to detect them! Fucking thing!"

Artemis spoke annoyed to herself when Robin reached the mission room. She stood in front of the main computer station and pressed confused a lot of buttons.

"Can I help you, Artemis?"

The Archer jerked noticeable turned her head and screamed surprised. Her right arm was bloody and on her face Robin could see some bruises.

"Rob! You are here!"

The fact that she didn´t ask him about his fettle alarmed the thirteen year old boy immediately. He stormed next to her and forgot directly his own damages.

"What happened? Where are the others? Speak!"

Artemis still seemed not remember why the boy wonder was here at Mount Justice and responded automatically.

"We went to that closed, empty manufactory. Our mission was very simple. We should just collect more information about the villains who have been seen there very often the past few days. No fighting, no risk. But then everything went wrong and the other four of us were trapped and brought away from the manufactory. So now I have to figure out where they are but no idea how!"

During her report she had become faster and louder. Robin could sense the panic inside her voice. He had to stay calm although he also felt the growing fear inside.

"Go and inform the league!" he ordered "I will figure out where they are."

Artemis went to the smaller computer station and tried to reach the league, happy about this young boy, who took the command of the situation. Robin was in his element. He flew across the keyboard and opened many files and cards trying to localize the hidden tracker of his friends.

Meanwhile Artemis had reached Green Arrow on the monitor. He looked in her scratched face and simply said.

"What´s wrong?"

Artemis explained again the proceedings of the last few hours to her mentor. Green Arrow informed just Black Canary and Flash when suddenly Robin shouted "I found them. Oh!"

"OH?" Artemis and Green Arrow asked coincident. Robin only added one word then everybody frightened.

"Joker"

**Chapter 9 – No time to loose**

"We have to lose no time. Joker is a man who gives shrift."

Robin left the room and went quickly to his own just to put on his suite and mask. When he returned and wanted to go straight to the Zetatube he was detained by Artemis.

"Stop, Robin! Black Canary said she will be here in a few minutes. She just informs the rest of the league and will bring them al here to Mount Justice. We need to plan the salvation and YOU need to rest again! You are not fit already!"

"Shut up! They need us and they need us immediately. I know the Joker, we don´t have time to discuss everything. If you think I´m too weak for that then say it loud! You have two choices; you can come with me and help or stay here and wait. I don´t mind! I go now!"

With these words Robin pushed her to the side and ran to the Zetatube. He knew that he has to take it before the league arrives. They would send him back to bed, not able to help his friends, his team any more. Of course he could still feel his headache and running towards the Zetatube didn´t make it any better, but now he had to focus on the rescue mission.

Few steps in front of the gateway he recognized a hand that was laid down in his own. Artemis was on his side and looked at him.

"I come with you!"

They stepped into the Zetatube holding their hands and vanished only seconds before Black Canary, Flash, Green Arrow, Green Lantern and Superman appeared.

"Robin! Artemis!" Superman shouted through the empty rooms then declared.

"They are already gone. Let´s hope Batman won´t learn the truth. He will quarter all of us!"

"Robins gone too?" asked Black Canary unbelievingly.

"Yes" was Flashs short response who had run already trough all the rooms to check this fact.

Now Green Arrow stepped forward towards the mission room.

"I can´t be helped. We have to find out where they are, so let´s check the last computer entries."

The heroes all walked straight to the mission room, Black Canary still shaking her head about so much stupidity.

**Chapter 10 – Trust**

Both teens released their hands immediately when they arrived in front of that shabby warehouse. It was not the right moment for any kind of intimacy. Robin raised his glove to activate his computer and check the situation.

Artemis waited next to him nervously looking around. After a while the thirteen year old boy just pointed at a small ventilation system on the right side.

"That should be safe!" He added while he opened the entry with his helpful tools from the utility belt.

Artemis climbed inside first and helped the younger and smaller one afterwards. Robin had to balance himself, because of a little dizziness. Then he checked his computer immediately again to find the shortest and safest way to their friends. After a few seconds he sighed and declared

"Unfortunately we will have to climb down a small distance to reach the basement without being identified. Fix the rope here at the pipes! But quiet please!"

Robin got a long thin rope out of his belt and handed it to the Archer. Artemis looked directly in the thirteen year olds eyes and seemed to remember something important, what she had forgotten. She declared concerned.

"You should stay here! You have a concussion and shouldn´t climb down anywhere! Perhaps you black out and I have to take care for you, the team and the Joker. That´s too much! I will rescue them and you wait here to inform the league when they will arrive!"

She knotted the rope tight on the pipes without looking at him anymore, trying to overlook his open mouth. It lasted some time until Robin found his voice again.

"You are kidding, right? We´ve got no time for this. Why don´t you trust me anymore?"

"Sorry Rob, I just forgot for a while why you had to stay in the cave and it´s a fact that you are not in your prime condition. I shouldn´t have taken you here! It´s too dangerous for an injured kid!"

The thirteen year old teen looked quizzical at the archer.

"What do you mean with KID?"

Artemis jerked barely notable. She recognized the reason for her sudden concerns.

"Robin, I´m sorry. Just stay here and wait for the league. They will find us better with your help!"

The boy thought to know the reason for her sudden change of mood, he remembered the nocturnal discussion of the team a few days before and his anger came back straightaway.

"Come off it! I knew you don´t trust me, none of you! You really think I´m weak? Look at me! I have the strength to stay here and rescue the others and I won´t black out, I promise! I will save them with or without you! Trust me just a last time! You never have to do it after this mission again, I swear!"

For just a few seconds there was total silence. Artemis got shocked when she realized the meaning of his assessment.

"Oh no! Rob don´t be stupid! That was not the reason I had concerned about. I really trust you, but you are ill! Sawy?"

The boy knew she was right and couldn´t understand her worries anyway. He survived worse injuries than a simple concussion. Despite his noticeable anger he reminded himself why he was here inside a ventilation system. The discussion with the older teammate came to nothing. Robin sighed and focused himself on the next steps to calm down. Then he took the rope in his hand and directed his voice to Artemis.

"Let´s go now! We have to reach the basement!"

Nobody could have recognized the former struggle in his sound. Artemis looked completely stunned and followed the younger teen down the pipe, speechless for the first time in her life. The moment she arrived, Robin already checked his computer.

"This way!" he added short.

**Chapter 11 – On the way**

Both walked ahead crouched for some while, checking the computer on every junction. Once Robin hit his head on the wall and remembered temporary that his state really wasn´t the best at the moment. After suppressing a rise of sickness he focused again and sneaked further on. Artemis looked still very concerned but didn´t start a controversial again. After another rope-climbing they were sudden stopped. The pipe was blocked because of a massive grid in front of them.

"Fucking barrier! Now what? Let´s try to go right on the last edge."

Artemis sounded frantic and she already wanted to turn back when she realized that Robin walked further on anyhow. The Archer always knew that there were incredible things inside the utility belt of the little ninja but she would never have expected a small but workable welder.

It only took five minutes to open a way through the grid. Artemis had gone nervously back and forth the whole time. That´s why Robin climbed through, looked back at her with a grin and offered a hand to the bewildered Archer.

"If you please!"

Artemis had to smile back at him "Thank you! Couldn´t do it without you!"

Artemis recognized pleased that she was calming down again just because of the little joke. All along she admired her younger teammate for his strength of nerves and his assurance in every situation, no matter how bad the circumstances were.

They moved on and rounded the next corner silent. Robin checked the way for the hundreds time.

"Where are they?" Artemis asked, not detected the other team members on Robins screen.

Instead of an answer she received an obvious sign from Robin to keep calm right now. Artemis opened her mouth to ask for the reason but closed it terrified when she recognized a well-known laughter close by.

"Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiihihihihihihihihihihiiiiiiiiiiiii!"

Both teens sneaked closer to where they supposed the noise came from. A bit further they found another ventilator that blocked the way to a huge cellar room. Robin and Artemis seated down and looked through the chinks on the ventilator. Their blood ran cold.

**Chapter 12 – Joker´s game**

Superboy, Wally, Megan and Kaldur were all bounded on a pillar in the middle of the room not able to move hands and legs. Their mouths were also gagged.

"Why can´t Supi free himself from his bonds?" Artemis asked.

Robin thought about it for a few seconds and mentioned then.

"Kryptonian bonds, I think!"

Artemis just nodded and turned her head back to the joker. The freaky jester was in really high spirits. He currently opened a chest which revealed what was coming next. Fifty small, sharp knifes lay inside and right now Joker took one of them softly in his hand. Artemis swallowed and saw concerned looks on her friends faces.

"Hiiiiiiihihihihihi looks like we will have a lot of fun together. Maybe it will only be fun for me. Doesn´t matter. Hiiiiiiiihihihihi Can you guess what´s coming next? No? Hihiihihihiiiiiiii I will explain it to you. So listen carefully! The pillar will spin around while I try to pierce these knifes into your body. Hiiiiiihihihihihihi. Perhaps I fail but you should know I am very experienced with them. Your little bird knows that so well."

Joker looked a little bit sad for a short moment.

"It´s a pity he is not here with you. I miss my birdieboy. Perhaps he joins us at the final. Hihiihihihiiiiiiii."

The mad man raised his head with the insane smile back on his face.

"So let´s start the show!"

Artemis buried her hands in Robins arm. He could feel her shivering. Our time is limited he thought, searching despairingly for any solution.

"Stay here Artemis and wait for my sign! Then shoot every arrow on the joker you have."

"What kind of sign?" she was panic-stricken.

Robin looked straight in her eyes. "Listen, Artemis! We don´t have enough time to discuss. Trust me! You will recognize the right moment."

A second later the little boy had vanished around the corner. Artemis prepared her bow and set eyes on the joker again who just stroked the knife in his hand with a tenderly view.

"Hihihihihiiiiiiiiiiii. I will try the first shot without spinning! Just to practice a little bit. Hiiiiiiiiiiihihihiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiihihihi."

The Joker raised his hand and darted the first knife accurate into Wallys shoulder. The Speedster shrieked. Artemis held her breath. She could see the butt of the knife darted in Wallys body.

"How can I stay calm and do nothing? What when Robin can´t find a way to help our friends and what when he blacks out on the way? He is not in the best fettle. What when all of our friends die here in front of my eyes? And I sit here doing nothing! No! Trust me he had said and so I will do!"

Artemis took a deep breath and set her eyes on the horror causing scene again. Her bow lay ready in her hands. She won´t miss the ninjas sign.

**Chapter 13 – The rescue**

"Hiiiiiiiihihihi that´s great fun! Hihihihihihi let´s bring motion in the game now! Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiihihi!"

Joker nodded to the man next to him. The bad guy pushed a red lever on the wall. The pillar began slowly to spin around immediately.

"I hope none of you get sick of this. Hihiihihihiiiiiiii. But that is your least problem now. Let´s see how good I can aim now. Who want to be my next target?"

None of the team could respond because of their gagged mouths.

"No volunteer?" asked the psycho with a wide grin. "I will let yourselves be surprised."

He raised the second knife and a second later the whole room was filled with a terrified yell. Artemis held on her breath.

Joker chuckled. "Hihiihihihiiiiiii. Looks like my knifes like your body Flashboy."

Artemis saw Kidflashs widened eyes and a second butt poked out of his left leg.

"That´s enough" she thought "I can´t just stay here and watch them getting tortured. I have to do anything. But what can I do? Where is Rob? I can´t wait any longer! Think Artemis, think fast."

In the meanwhile Joker grasped the next knife from the chest and kissed the blade softly. Then he pointed at the pillar and explained with a freaky grin.

"Time for someone else to suffer. This knife is a custom-built model. There is a little bit of Kryptonian inside the steal. Surly you can detect my next target. Hopefully I hit the right one. Hihiihihihiiiiiii."

He lifted his arm to aim precisely this time. At that precise moment appeared a dark cloud in the middle of the room which covered Kaldur, Wally, Megan and Superboy in darkness.

"What´s that?" the man at the wall next to the red lever said.

Robin had thrown one of his bat-smoke-bombs to cover his next move. He jumped down from the ceiling and conquered the man at the lever with one specific kick. The youngest team member pushed the lever and vanished towards the pillar which was hidden by the dark smoke.

Artemis had recognized the sign and started to send arrow after arrow to Joker. Robin released meanwhile Megan, Kaldur, Wally and Superboy.

The Clown conquered his surprise very fast, defended his own body against the arrows by hiding behind a huge case near the corner and pushed another button that opened a hidden door in the wall.

"Boy Blunder, I knew you would come and have fun with your Uncle J. Hihiihihihiiiiiii. I want to introduce to you a handful of picked man. Come on guys catch him, but don´t kill my little bird. You can play and have fun with his friends instead."

Joker shouted covering himself behind the case near the wall. Eight villains stormed into the room and tried to find one of the teenage heroes through the smoke in the middle. The Joker couldn´t intervene because he was still under fire, although Artemis had just a few arrows left. It was time to bring this all to an end.

"Put these on your face and then take out the guys! You will need it when Joker uses his laughing gas." Robin delivered a gas mask to all of them, wearing his own one since the start of the fight. Nobody will ever figure out how many useful things find place in a bats utility belt!

Superboy was the first one that knocked out two of the bad guys. Kaldur also took two simultaneously and threw them into another one. Megan collected the defeated villains and fettered them together. Because of the pain in his shoulder and leg Wally didn´t fight but informed the team about the positions of the enemies to coordinate the fight.

Artemis had shot her last arrow on Joker, put her gas mask on and climbed out of the ventilation system to help the team with combat power. Just in that moment the team had combated Jokers last supporter and stood around the ridiculous laughing clown who was still hidden behind his case.

"Hihiihihihiiiiiii. Difficult to find reliable staff. Well now it´s my turn. You need a little bit more fun in your life!"

With these words he came out of his hiding and darted a pellet with laughing gas at the team. One second later the mad grin vanished on Joker face. He recognized the masks on their faces and stumbled back. Superboy stepped forward and knocked the clown out with a single stroke. While the Kaldur and Superboy fettered the Joker and Megan treated Wallys wounds, they sensed more people coming inside.

**Chapter 14 – In trouble**

"Robin, Artemis! You´re in big trouble!"

The team directed their heads to the door and realized relieved that the new intruders were the members of the justice league. Superman had spoken. All of them came closer and for a few seconds nobody said a single word.

Then Robin smirked and declared to the league. "Please tidy up, I have to go to bed now."

He left the door and all of them could hear a thirteen year old boy puking loud just around the corner. Black Canary raised an eyebrow and declared to the rest of the team.

"Artemis, Megan bring the cocky boy home and force him to stay in bed with all of your weapons if necessary! Superboy, Kaldur, help Kid Flash inside the bioship. I will patch all your injuries after tidied up here. Oh well, you are all gated until further notice!"

The team looked amused at each other and walked outside as fast as possible to help their ninja. They removed Robin and Kid Flash to the ship. This time Robin didn´t mind. He wasn´t able any longer to displace his bad condition. Everything blurred before his eyes and he felt the heavy headache coming back so he let the team carry him to his seat where he felt asleep immediately.

**Chapter 15 – Don´t leave**

Next time he woke up he lay in the infirmary again, this time with Wally in a bed next to him. The Speedster was already bandaged and looked bored at a magazine.

"Are you all right?"

Wally jerked a little bit, because he hadn´t experienced his best friend awake so soon.

"I´m Fine yet! You know fast metabolism! And you?"

The younger boy tried to figure it out for a while then said

"I must got great painkillers, I feel absolute nothing! How long have I slept?"

"About 14 hours!"

Wally looked straight at Robin to convince himself that his best friend didn't lie about his shape. He recognized relieved that he had told the truth. The Boy Wonder seemed to lie entirely relaxed in his bed. This seemed to be a good moment for the question that bothered him.

"Hey Rob! Do you really want to leave the team? Artemis told us that you mentioned it at the manufactory."

There wasn´t a respond immediately so Wally sat up on his bed and stared straight to his friend. No not only his friend, his best friend, the best friend on this planet. The one that knows every single secret about him and the one that had told him more secrets about himself than anybody shall know (especially Batman). Wally could see a single tear running from the mask down to the chin.

"Nothat´ !Saythatisnottrue!" The Seedster was so shocked that he couldn´t speak comprehensible. "Iwouldbealreadydeadwithoutyourhelptoday!Weallwouldbedead! Comeon,saythatitisnottrue!"

Robin brushed the tear away, raised his body a little bit and turned his head towards Wally. Only his eyes couldn´t look directly at his best friend so he focused the floor, sighed and replied in a gentle tone.

"It is the truth. I will leave as soon as I got better. And before you try to change my opinion just listen careful to me! We are only a real team when each of us trusts the others. None of you is trusting me. All of you said it a week ago, I can see it on your faces at every single mission and Artemis told it indirectly yesterday while I was trying to save the rest of you. You know that I trust all of you, especially you and I really hope you will always remain my best friend."

Robin stopped to give Wally a chance to interrupt. He determined confused that the older boy was speechless for the first time in his whole life. So Robin tried to make Wally understand his decision.

"It is too risky for the whole team when we can´t trust each other. How fast can things go wrong on a mission when you think more about my protection that about the enemies. Sooner or later I will be the reason for a bad injury or worse. I couldn´t suffer that. I love each of you too much!"

Without another word the little ninja lay down again and closed his eyes. He felt some more tears coming down but tried to ignore them.

Wally still searched for the proper words when the door of the infirmary opened gingerly and the rest of the team entered embarrassed the room. Megan and Artemis sat down next to Wally on his bed. Superboy remained next to the door, only Kadur went directly towards Robins bed and their team leader was also the first one who began to speak in a calm but confident voice.

"Excuse Robin, you are absolute right!"

The youngest team member opened his eyes and showed a quizzical view at Kaldur.

"You know about the monitoring cameras. We had the order to watch both of you to make sure you will recover expressly. So don´t blame us, please. I comprehend your conclusion. You are absolutely right that all team members have to trust each other. It was our fault and we truly want to ask you to forgive all of us."

Superboy came close to help their team leader. "You saved my life today! I never noticed how much I need you."

"We all forgot how much we need you!" It was Artemis who spoke in a soft, guiltily voice. "Today I really didn´t want to mistrust you, I was just so concerned and overwhelmed. And you? You have been so incredible! You suppressed the concussion, found the hideout of the Joker, planned our way inside, calmed me down and saved everybody. I shouldn´t have doubted your abilities. Please forgive me!"

Before Robin could reply anything it was Megan who interrupted. "You already knew this maniac. He said it to us. He said you would know how well he can handle his knifes. So you must have met him earlier, several times I think. Nevertheless you came there to save us. I cannot imagine facing this crazy guy a second time. You are a part of this team and we will never distrust you again. Promise!"

Robin tried to answer again but it was Wally this time.

"You are my wingman! You cannot leave me!"

"You can´t leave us!" The other four team members joined in imploring.

Then there was silence for the first time and everybody looked at the thirteen year old boy. Robin raised his head and they could see his damp face despite his mask. All of them looked concerned and guilty at this moment and Robin could recognize that the team, his friends truly meant everything they just said to him.

So he smiled away the tears and merely nodded. A few seconds later he was fondly hugged and really happy for the first time in a long while.


End file.
